The present invention relates to an endless track type continuous casting installation and more particularly a block type continuous casting installation.
A typical example of the conventional endless track type continuous casting installations is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
In such continuous casting installation, a plurality of block molds 1 of L-shaped cross section and having two portions 1a and 1b are interconnected in the form of a loop such that the bottom portion 1a is disposed along the peripheral surface while the side portion 1b is disposed outwardly and perpendicular to the peripheral surface, thereby forming an endless track 2. A pair of upper and lower endless tracks 2 thus constructed are disposed in opposing relationship with each other and partially and peripherally in contact with each other. In such a zone of contact, the block molds to be paired become point-symmetric as shown in FIG. 2 and that the block molds 1 to be paired are combined such that the end surface P of the bottom portion 1a of each block mold 1 is made into engagement and intimate contact with the inner surface of the side portion 1b of the mated block mold 1, whereby a mold cavity 3 with variable space thickness is defined. The upper and lower endless tracks 2 are driven in the directions indicated by the arrows a and b, respectively, so that the block mold pairs 1 are moved in the same direction at the zone of contact of the upper and lower endless tracks 2. Molten metal 4 is poured into the mold cavity 3 from one open end thereof while a casting 5 is withdrawn from the other open end thereof.
With the continuous casting installation having the above-described construction, the mold cavity 3 is defined by the following steps. First, the block mold 1 of the upper endless track 2 is lowered while the block mold 1 of the lower endless track 2 is raised, so that these block molds 1 to be paired gradually approach each other and start to overlap or superimpose one upon another. Next the block molds 1 are further displaced, so that the end faces P of the bottom portions 1a are made into engaegment and intimate contact with the inner surfaces of the side portions 1b, whereby the mold cavity 3 rectangular in cross section is defined by the four portions 1a, 1b, 1a and 1b.
When two block molds 1 to be paired are misaligned in the directions indicated by the double point arrow c as shown in FIG. 3, corners A of the bottom portions 1a will collide with corners B of the side portions 1b, resulting in problems that smooth contact is not ensured and wear of the block molds is accelerated by the collision. To overcome such problems, the paired block molds may be combined such that a gap is provided between the end surface P of the bottom portion 1a and the inner surface of the side portion 1b; then, there arises a further problem that molten metal poured into the mold cavity 3 will leak through this gap to the exterior.
The present invention was made to overcome the above and other problems encountered in the conventional endless track type continuous casting installations. According to the present invention, a guide rail for guiding the block molds of at least one endless track is provided so that after the block molds of the upper and lower endless tracks to be paired approach and are at least partly engaged with each other while being kept apart from each other in directions in which the bottom portions of the block molds are extended; that is, in widthwise directions of the casting, the block molds of the respective endless tracks to be paired are caused to gradually approach and intimately contact with each other in the widthwise directions of the casting.
The above and other objects, effects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.